In an operating room, a patient is usually placed in a supine position and then covered with sterile paper drapes. However, there is a 90% chance that surgical instruments placed on these sloping paper drapes will slide off to the floor. This slippage problem causes delays with surgery because of the need to re-sterilize the contaminated instruments. In the 1960's to reduce the frequency of falling instruments, magnetic reusable instrument holding drapes were developed. These magnetic drapes, while still in use, have drawbacks. They magnetize instruments and interfere with pacemakers. Further, magnetic drapes cannot hold plastic instruments on sloping surfaces and they have irregular lumpy surfaces which hold magnets that add to its weight and inflexibility.
A method of supporting and retaining surgical instruments on a non-skid supporting surface was patented in 1991, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,271. The non-skid drape of U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,271, which is commonly referred to under the trademark Insta-Hold™, eliminated the need for magnets as the drape's light tackiness is capable of holding surgical instruments both metal and plastic on any sloping surface and is completely flexible and light weight. However, in spite of these improvements, sterile surgical instruments can slip from the tacky surface of the drape and fall to the floor.